International application number PCT/US12/70856, filed by Matthew W. Krenik on Dec. 20, 2012, entitled “Automated Hair Cutting System and Method of Operation Thereof,” (hereinafter “Krenik '856”) provides a description of automated hair cutting systems. These systems operate by determining the position and/or orientation of a hair cutting device relative to a user receiving a haircut. Hair may be collected in a cutter head and extended for cutting to a beneficial length. Through electronic measurements and computational analysis, the location of where hair on the scalp of a user is collected into a cutter head may be determined and as hair is extended and slides through a cutter head, its length may be substantially determined so that a cutter head may be actuated at a beneficial time to cut hair to a beneficial length.
Krenik '856 relates to a cutter head through which hair may be extended in a combing action for extension to a beneficial length for cutting. However, the cutter heads described in Krenik '856 do not provide a way to automatically adjust the level of pressure or friction that a cutter head applies to hair as it is extended without the addition of an auxiliary comb. Auxiliary combs described in Krenik '856 require an additional structure added to a hair cutting device and while they may be manually or automatically actuated, auxiliary combs will normally require additional actuators or mechanisms for such actuation to take place. Hence, a cutter head that may provide controlled and adjustable levels of friction to hair as it slides through a cutter head without the need for an auxiliary comb is highly desirable.